Silhouettes
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: When Sofia suffers a strange attack at school, the royal family turns to Cedric for answers. He determines that she's under attack by someone who possesses dark magic, and it's up to them to figure out who the culprit is before it's too late.
1. Peripheral

Silhouettes

Summary: When Sofia suffers a strange attack at school, the royal family turns to Cedric for answers. He determines that she's under attack by someone who possesses dark magic, and it's up to them to figure out who the culprit is before it's too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I own only a few particular characters mentioned in here.

A/N: I've been subtly (or in some cases, not-so-subtly) building up to this type of occurrence for a while now. Dark magic has always been alluded to or spoken negatively of in my stories, and now you're about to see why. The topics in this chapter story will be a bit darker than usual, but you know me. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel. ;) Enjoy!

Chapter Titles:

1: Peripheral

2: Precaution

3: Investigation

4: The Mark of Mayhem

5: A Peculiar Prince

6: Confrontation

7: Unrivaled

*Story*

Chapter 1: Peripheral

It was a normal day at Royal Prep, although it had been raining a bit more than usual. It had begun yesterday afternoon and had yet to stop, which made travel a bit more difficult than normal. All of the coaches had been adjusted for the weather though, so the royal children didn't necessarily have to worry about getting drenched.

Sofia could hear the patter of the heavy rain against the roof, and though she didn't care for bad weather while outside of her comfort of her own bedroom, she didn't mind the constant pattern at all. In fact, it had relaxed her a bit for whatever reason. She was currently in Professor Pecullian's class, and he was discussing and demonstrating more outside-the-box strategies he hoped his students would implement as they went further in their studies. While his lessons were always fascinating, she still felt a bit sleepy and was struggling to stay awake.

"All right, class," Professor Pecullian announced energetically with a grin, "get into your groups from yesterday, and see if you can create your own strategies for upcoming classes. Remember, your wisdom is passed to those younger than you, so make sure you give them every ounce of knowledge you can."

Sofia glanced up as Amber, James, and Desmond moved their desks to fit beside hers. Her vision was a little blurry now, so she rubbed gently at her eyes to clear her sight, which Amber noticed.

"Sofia, are you all right?" the blonde princess asked in concern as she frowned at her strange actions. She'd noticed her sister had been a bit out of it since stepping foot in the classroom, despite the fact that she had been just fine the first part of the morning.

"Huh?" The younger girl blinked and shook her head before smiling tiredly at her sister. "I'm okay, Amber. I guess I'm just a little tired." She realized Amber didn't seem totally convinced, but thankfully she let it go and acted as the unofficial leader of their group so they could get their discussion started.

While Sofia did offer some input, she mostly observed the discussion going on in front of her. After a few minutes, she began feeling really uncomfortable. Chills spread down her neck and spine, and she shivered silently, rubbing her arms to gain some warmth. She thought she saw some movement out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look, nothing was there. In fact, all she saw were the students steadily working and discussing.

In fact, her peripheral vision continued deceiving her a couple more times; each turn proved in vain, for nothing unusual appeared to be there.

"Sof?" James asked, shaking her. "Sofia, what's going on with you?"

"What?" Sofia gasped out, blinking and turning to her brother.

"We've been talking to you for like a minute now, and you just seemed so spaced out. What's up?"

Sofia gazed around at her three group members, wide-eyed in the realization that she'd not heard a single person speaking to her. What on earth was going on with her? "I… I'm sorry, you guys. I just—ahh!" She felt an immense pain wash over her entire body, causing her to double over in agony. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks as she sobbed and tried to force away the pain, but nothing seemed to be working. She couldn't even honestly tell _what_ was hurting. It just felt like her entire body seemed to be under attack at this point.

"Sofia?" Professor Pecullian asked quickly as he rushed to his student. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders, but she even flinched at that contact. He quickly withdrew his hands and looked toward the other students for answers. "What happened?"

"We don't know," Amber responded in dismay as her eyes stayed focused on her sister. "She's been acting a little out of it, and all of a sudden she just started screaming."

"Khalid, Vivian, if you two wouldn't mind, please go fetch Miss Flora." He pulled a chair up beside the girl and sat down as the two students took off to find the aforementioned fairy. "Sofia, please, try and focus on my voice only, all right?"

Sofia could hardly muster the energy to do as she was asked, but she tried her hardest. Still in physical pain, she opened her eyes and stared wearily at her professor.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"S-Something…" She closed her eyes again as another wave of pain flooded through her. "I think something is…attacking me."

Professor Pecullian frowned in obvious concern just as Vivian and Khalid arrived with Flora. He stood and pulled her to the side. "This is unlike anything I've seen before," he murmured to her. "This child is under some sort of physical yet invisible attack. I can only think of one possibility. But that is impossible, isn't it?"

Flora frowned at the proposed situation before sighing. "I'll take her to my office and see if I can get her a calming potion for now. I'll send word to her parents when they leave this afternoon." She gently gathered Sofia up, pulling her into a standing position. "Come with me, Sofia. Boys and girls, everything is going to be okay. Get back to your studies."

"But Miss Flora," Amber began with obvious unease, "Sofia…"

"I'll take care of her, Amber. I promise." She offered the older princess a gentle smile before leading Sofia away.

While her pain eventually subsided thanks to the calming potion, Sofia still felt drained. She was not allowed to go to any of her classes, and instead she was urged to rest on a cot Flora had conjured for her. The moment school ended, Amber and James found their sister and accepted a letter from Flora, explaining the day's events so they could be well-informed.

As soon as they got home, Amber and James had to work together to get Sofia into her room since she seemed to be even weaker. Granted, she didn't complain of any pain anymore; however, her energy seemed to be sapped. Once at their destination, James left to find Roland and Miranda while Amber helped Sofia get dressed for the evening. She carefully led the younger girl to her bed and pulled the covers over her once she was settled.

"Sofia, please tell me what's wrong," Amber pleaded, her eyes tearing up as a feeling of unease washed over her.

"I wish I could say, Amber," Sofia murmured quietly.

Roland and Miranda arrived a few minutes later with James in tow. The king accepted the letter from Amber and read over it, his brow furrowing as he finished. "Sofia, Miss Flora indicates here that you suffered some sort of phantom pain at school?"

"I don't know about phantom pain, Dad," James corrected. "She sort of zoned out on us, and before we knew what was going on, she suddenly just started screaming and seemed to be in really bad pain. She acted like someone was hurting her, but there was literally no one there… It was really weird."

Sofia summoned up enough strength to prop herself against her pillows as Miranda sat next to her and took her hand. "It wasn't just pain, Dad. Since I got to the school, I felt like I was being watched or followed. Every time I looked over my shoulder, I didn't see anyone, but when I turned back I got that feeling again… It was scary. And then I felt chills and even felt like my energy was being drained out of me." She sniffled as she attempted to stop herself from crying for a second time that day, though this time appeared to be out of frustration. "I just don't know what to do… I hate feeling helpless, and I need to know what's going on. What's _wrong_ with me?"

Roland listened to his daughter's explanation before turning to James. "James, go get Cedric."

"Cedric?" Miranda asked with a blink as she turned to him. "Why Cedric?"

"Because I have a feeling there's more to this than what we're seeing." The king nodded as James stood and took off. "We need to get to the bottom of this, Miranda. I have…a bad feeling, to be honest." He then glanced back at Sofia. "But we're going to figure this out, Sofia. I promise."

The auburn-haired girl sighed and looked away, uncertain if his words were comforting or not considering the circumstances.

As soon as Cedric arrived a few minutes later, the entire family could see the apprehension written all over his face. The moment James had described Sofia's condition to him, the color had all but drained from his face. He ambled over to the girl and, taking Miranda's place as she stood up to allow him some room, he sat next to Sofia, his worried eyes searching hers for clues.

"Mr. Cedric," the girl whispered as she grasped his hand, "I'm scared."

"Don't worry, Sofia," he told her, though inwardly he recognized the irony in his statement. _He_ was worried, because he was very much aware of what seemed to be transpiring. "We're going to handle this. I promise you."

"Handle what?" Roland asked as Cedric turned toward him. "Cedric, what do you think is going on with her?"

The sorcerer sighed heavily. "From what I gather based on what Prince James explained to me, I have made a rather distressing realization."

The room became eerily quiet as soon as Cedric revealed the connection he'd discovered.

"Someone is attacking Sofia using dark magic."

To be continued…


	2. Precaution

Silhouettes

Summary: When Sofia suffers a strange attack at school, the royal family turns to Cedric for answers. He determines that she's under attack by someone who possesses dark magic, and it's up to them to figure out who the culprit is before it's too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I own only a few particular characters mentioned in here.

A/N: I have every intention of incorporating more people into this story than usual, because there are several who can and will offer Sofia some form of comfort and/or assistance due to her very challenging and negative situation. She's truly going to need all the help she can get. Also, I actually had to do some research on real "dark magic" to get a general feel of what can and cannot occur with it. Of course, with this being STF and Disney, I'm scaling it back a bit, so I hope this comes through. :) But yes, I promise you, this is much darker than many other things I've written before, so buckle up. ;) Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 2: Precaution

Dark magic. Dark magic? _Dark_ magic?! How on earth could she have encountered such a thing? Who in their right mind would think to attack such a sweet girl with such a horrid and dangerous form of magic? All these thoughts and more flew through Roland's mind as he listened to Cedric's explanation. "Is there a way to stop it?" Roland asked as Cedric finished speaking.

"I certainly hope so," the sorcerer said uneasily as he sighed. "Honestly, King Roland, there are very few people I know of who've actually possessed such dark power. Granted, there are a few—including me—who have done some questionable things with relatively normal or light magic, but for one to actually not only possess but _use_ it…" He shook his head. "That's a dangerous person, Your Majesty. In fact, dark magic is forbidden by the Conjurors' Board. So whoever has access to it is acting outside of the magical laws."

"This is really bad then," James surmised as he and Amber crawled onto Sofia's bed and sat beside their sister. "Someone's obviously trying to hurt Sofia."

"And we need to stop them," Amber added. "I think anyone who would harm Sofia deserves to be taught a thing or two." She ran her fingers through her sister's hair as a comforting gesture, smiling as the younger princess smiled at her in appreciation.

"While I agree with you, Amber," Roland began, "I'd say it's best for you two to stay out of it. I don't want any of you getting hurt. Leave this matter to the adults this time."

"But Daddy…"

"He's quite right, Princess Amber," Cedric told her gently. "Dark magic is nothing to make light of. If you or Prince James were to interfere, the one pursuing your sister might very well turn to you both as well." He faced both the king and queen as he stood up. "If it pleases Your Majesties, I'll be more than willing to delve into this mystery and see what is going on."

"You're going to do it either way," Miranda realized with a small smile. "I know how protective you are over Sofia, Cedric, so I can think of no one better to help her."

He smiled. "Thank you, Queen Miranda. And when she goes to school tomorrow—"

"I can't go back there," Sofia suddenly interjected, garnering the others' attention. "Please, Mom, Dad, please… Don't let me go back there now." She felt James take her hand for comfort, and she probably squeezed it a little too tightly, but he didn't complain. Obviously she needed some sort of grounding at the moment. "I've read about dark magic and know what it can do. I… I'm scared of not only getting hurt myself, but others around me suffering too."

"That's precisely why I was going to make a suggestion," Cedric told her as he looked toward the girl in question, who glanced up at him. "I will go along with you, your brother, and your sister tomorrow, Sofia, and I'll be there to protect you in case of another attack."

"Mr. Cedric…"

"I don't want you to miss school and be scared of life just because some coward with too much gumption has decided to make you a target. You're not weak, my dear, and you never have been. Don't let this defeat you."

Sofia considered his words before frowning and nodding. "You're right. I can't let this miscreant think I'm scared."

"Miscreant," Roland laughed with a calming smile. "Only Sofia would offer a gentle insult at a time like this." He nodded toward Cedric. "We appreciate your service to our children, Cedric. Please keep a close watch on not only Sofia, but all of them tomorrow."

"Yes, King Roland. I'll protect them with all I have."

* * *

The next morning, Cedric accompanied the Enchancian students to Royal Prep and discovered pretty quickly that everything seemed relatively normal. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and he didn't sense anything sinister…yet.

He made sure to inform all three fairies of the situation at hand, though he discovered pretty fast that they'd already started to make a connection.

"We had a feeling it was something malicious," Merryweather told him privately as the children waited outside the door.

"The only thing I don't understand is, why Sofia?" Fauna wondered as she sighed. "She's such a darling girl and could never cause harm to anyone, so for someone to target her is so bizarre."

It suddenly occurred to Cedric that these three didn't know the full extent to which Sofia battled against negative forces, or what have you. They were clearly unaware of her connection to characters like Grimtrix, Slickwell, and the like, so he wasn't about to explain. After all, some things were best kept secret.

"Would it be all right if I accompanied Sofia to her classes today?" Cedric asked, steering the conversation in another direction. "I indicated to King Roland and Queen Miranda that I would come along to keep an eye on her, and I'd like to keep my promise to them."

"Absolutely," Flora insisted with a nod. "You have every right as their Royal Sorcerer to fulfill your obligations. Besides that, we know very well how much you mean to her." She smiled as Cedric seemed rather shy all of a sudden. "She speaks highly of you, Cedric. I feel you should know that."

Cedric smiled thoughtfully as he nodded slowly. "Thank you, Miss Flora…"

The day started off relatively well. There were no signs of anything malicious going on so far, and Sofia was more than relieved. However, things took a bit of a turn when she arrived to Fauna's class and sat down.

Cedric instantly recognized the girl's look of fear as she shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. He grabbed a spare chair and sat next to her, observing her momentarily. "What is it?"

"I'm so cold…" She glanced around and observed that none of her classmates seemed to notice her actions. Even her siblings were busy working and seemed to have forgotten about the temporary issue. Sofia looked back toward Cedric. "Don't you feel cold at all?"

"No. Perhaps you're feeling nervous about the situation. That often causes switches in body temperature."

"You don't understand, Mr. Cedric," she whispered as she shivered. "This is how it started yesterday…"

Cedric frowned and wielded his wand just in case. Upon glancing around the room, he realized he knew probably three quarters of the students in there. Well, he recognized them anyway. Very few did he _know_.

Sofia yet again glimpsed something out of the corner of her eye yet hardly had time to process it as she felt a distinct, piercing pain in her right arm near her Enchantlet. "Ahh!"

The entire class turned to face Sofia, who was gripping her arm and seething in pain and shaking.

Cedric was fast to react and gently grasped her left hand, lifting it up and gasping at what he saw. There, on her right forearm near the Enchantlet, was a circle with some sort of symbol or lettering he didn't recognize in the center. What he did know was it was glowing an eerie red color and felt warm to the touch. "Sofia…" He was extremely worried for her safety now, though he did not demonstrate any signs of fear as he did not want her to panic. Then again, despite _his_ actions, he felt she would worry regardless; truly, he didn't blame her one bit.

"Wh-What is this?" she asked.

"I believe it's a dark mark…from dark magic."

"Sofia?" Amber asked worriedly as she stood from her desk and hurried over to her sister, who was swaying a bit. "Sofia, speak to me. Please!"

"Dark…magic…" Again, Sofia's vision was swimming. Again, she felt weak. And again, she thought she saw something in her peripheral vision, though she didn't manage to see just what. She hardly noticed her classmates' worried calls as she fainted, collapsing right into Cedric's arms, much to his surprise.

Something was coming… Or worse yet, something was already there.

To be continued…


	3. Investigation

Silhouettes

Summary: When Sofia suffers a strange attack at school, the royal family turns to Cedric for answers. He determines that she's under attack by someone who possesses dark magic, and it's up to them to figure out who the culprit is before it's too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I own only a few particular characters mentioned in here.

A/N: Thanks for all the great feedback so far! I love that people are speculating on who might be the culprit(s). ;) I won't say whether you're on the right track or not, because half the fun of a mystery is following clues to solve it. :D Then of course don't forget to take into account _motive_. Anyway, this part of the story is sort of research/bonding time, so hope you enjoy! ;)

*Story*

Chapter 3: Investigation

"Cedric, I have a favor to ask of you," Roland stated later that evening as both he and Cedric stood watching his sleeping daughter as she lay in her bed.

"Anything, sire," Cedric answered quietly, fearful he might wake the sleeping princess—though at this rate, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing in his opinion.

"I want you to set up a temporary workshop lab here and see what is doing this to Sofia." He frowned in concern. "While I'm not well-versed in magic, even I can see that mark on her is dangerous, and I won't have my daughter destroyed by the whims of a madman."

"You have my word, King Roland," the sorcerer declared as the king turned to look at him. "I will do whatever it takes to help the princess out. After all she's done for me, I owe her everything and more. I won't give up until I determine what is truly going on."

The fair-haired man couldn't help smiling at the sorcerer. Up until now he'd only considered Cedric his employee, but as of late with actually spending more time with him and getting to know him better (even after all these years), he was almost willing to start looking at Cedric as a friend. Granted, they weren't there quite yet, but it was a work in progress. Plus, he was sure Sofia would love nothing more than to see her step-father and her mentor/friend becoming friends down the line. Maybe soon… "Thank you, Cedric." He sighed and glanced toward the sleeping girl again. "I hope you can figure this out. She means the world to me." He placed a kiss on Sofia's forehead before leaving.

Cedric sighed heavily as he was left alone with the sleeping girl before grasping her hand gently. "Me too, King Roland. Me too…"

* * *

After an hour or so, Cedric had managed to get his temporary research workshop set up in Sofia's room. He'd never had so many books before him in his life. From _The History of Dark Magic_ Volumes I-IV to _Origins of Dark Marks_ and everything between, he had a plethora of information surrounding him and hoped he could utilize it effectively. Yet he still didn't quite know where to start.

He held his hands to his head in frustration before sighing in resignation. He needed help, and he knew it. With that thought, he decided to seek out someone competent to aid him in his quest.

* * *

"Oh, Ceddy," Cordelia murmured a while later as she stood next to her brother, staring down at the sleeping girl in her bed. "What's gotten hold of our dear princess?"

"A dark mark." Cedric lifted Sofia's right arm and gently brushed her Enchantlet aside, demonstrating the incriminating mark. "I'm not familiar with this particular one, and I'm afraid I'm letting the entire situation cloud my mind and my judgment."

"What do you mean?"

" _Look_ at her!" he declared, trying to hold back his anger. He wasn't mad at his sister, of course; he was irritated with the very situation and the person who'd caused his apprentice such anguish, fear, and uncertainty. "I can't very well proceed with my research when my best friend is lying here helpless, all because of some disgusting coward who would rather magically attack an innocent girl than own up to his actions!"

"Cedric, stop." Cordelia grasped both of his hands and pulled him aside, allowing the girl to continue sleeping, oblivious to the situation. She then placed her hands on either side of her brother's face. "Cedric, listen to me." Seeing he'd calmed down, she continued, "You must get ahold of your emotions. I understand that Sofia means a great deal to you. In the months Calista and I have lived here and gotten to know her, it's not hard to see why. I'll do everything in my power to help you protect her and figure this whole thing out. But you have _got_ to stay focused and not let this get to you." She released him and gestured toward the girl, who stirred lightly yet remained asleep. "She needs you, Ceddy."

He sighed. "…Not as much as I need her… If it weren't for her…"

"I know." She picked up one of the books and pressed it into his hands. "Come on then. Let's get started."

Cedric finally smiled.

So many books with so many words…all blending together at this point. Nothing made sense. Everything just seemed so jumbled and confusing—to Cedric, at least. But to Cordelia?

"Ah-hah!" the sorceress proclaimed with a bright smile. "I've found something." She shoved the book directly under Cedric's nose, causing him to blink in surprise. "Read the last paragraph."

Cedric cleared his throat and lowered the book a bit so he could read it better.

 _From a small Astorian town arrived a set of twins known as Percy the Persistent and Sylvester the Steadfast, or, to the rest of the town, 'The Pernicious Pair.' They were called thus due to their malicious nature with magic. They delivered curses left and right, wreaking havoc over the town and its people. Together they created a dark mark which they called The Mark of Mayhem to cast a shadow over one's mind and cause trauma to the one affected. However, obtaining said dark mark is no easy feat. Read_ _ **Silhouettes: Darkened Shadows and Dark Magic**_ _for more information._

 _While Percy the Persistent has since passed, his twin is still alive and very active, wanted in at least six kingdoms for the last several decades because of his involvement in cursing several royals and commoners. His use of dark magic has destroyed many lives and has left lingering negativity throughout the areas he's inhabited or visited. If he's not stopped, who's to say what may happen?_

Cedric slammed the book shut, a cross look on his face. "So this dark mark is called 'The Mark of Mayhem' and 'causes trauma.' No _kidding_." He glanced toward his sister. "It's at least a start. We must find this Sylvester the Steadfast and deal with him accordingly. Go alert the king so he can be aware. I fear this warrants further research, but he needs to at least know of our findings so far."

"All right. I'll be back soon." She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before heading out on her mission.

He lowered the book to his work table just in time to hear a sharp gasp. He turned and witnessed Sofia sitting up in bed, fear written all over her face as she automatically reached for her amulet. He frowned at her actions, because while he was glad to see she was finally awake, he wasn't sure what to make of everything.

Deciding to take things slowly so he wouldn't frighten or confuse her, Cedric sat beside her on the bed and waited patiently.

Sofia slowed her panting until it had disappeared. She looked toward her mentor, her blue eyes filled with uncertainty. "Mr. Cedric…?"

"I'm so glad you're all right," he told her gently as she continued observing him. "You fainted in class."

"I did?" She held a hand to her head. "Sorry… I don't know what's wrong with me."

Deciding to save the revelation until she was stronger both physically and mentally, he proceeded with caution with his questions. "You woke up rather suddenly and seemed panicked. Is everything all right?"

She gazed downward. "I had a dream about a wicked man chasing after me… I don't know who he is, but even still…he actually seemed familiar for some reason. It doesn't make any sense..." She then seemed to just unravel completely, her fears and emotions overwhelming her all at once as she clutched the bed covers. "Mr. Cedric, I don't know how to deal with all of this… It's one thing to battle against real villains, but to go up against something I just can't see? I… I can't even begin to understand that. It's horrible being magically attacked and not being able to do anything about it. I just don't know what to do anymore…" Her melancholy state was now rather evident as her shoulders slumped in a forfeiting manner, something unbecoming of such a strong princess.

Cedric considered the situation before gently tapping her hand and holding out his arms.

Sofia looked up and blinked at him in surprise. "Mr. Cedric?"

"Come here." He waited patiently for her to decide her response; ultimately, he had to smile softly as she crawled over toward him and hugged him for comfort. He wrapped his arms around her and gently rocked her back and forth in a soothing motion. "We'll figure this out together, Sofia. I promise you."

It didn't take long before Sofia had successfully drifted off to sleep again, her mentor and friend keeping a close watch on her. He'd promised he'd protect her, and if it was the last thing he did, he didn't ever intend on breaking that promise.

To be continued…


	4. The Mark of Mayhem

Silhouettes

Summary: When Sofia suffers a strange attack at school, the royal family turns to Cedric for answers. He determines that she's under attack by someone who possesses dark magic, and it's up to them to figure out who the culprit is before it's too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I own only a few particular characters mentioned in here.

A/N: Hi, guys! Let's start off by answering a few questions. For Curly J, in my stories, yes, Cordelia is aware that Cedric nearly took over the kingdom (it's suggested that they've had a private discussion about that in my works). Also, yes, Calista will show up in the story. In this chapter, actually. :D For bridgeportfox: nice observation for chapter 2! Sofia's threat has occurred now in Mr. P's class and Miss Fauna's class. So, yes… ;) There's a reason! And to all of you, thank you SO much for the excellent feedback. It helps so much and puts a smile on my face. You all are the reason I keep writing. ;) I enjoy seeing your speculations and takes on things. They make things even better. With all that said, enjoy chapter 4! You're about to find out just how Sofia got that dark mark in the first place. ;)

*Story*

Chapter 4: The Mark of Mayhem

While Sofia got some rest, Cedric decided it would be best to transfer his research to the library for the time being so as not to disturb the girl's much-needed slumber. His sister joined him not long after informing Roland of recent developments. Further digging into the books proved that the Mark of Mayhem was technically used to physically and mentally attack victims from afar, and it was usually passed to a human via contact with a plant known as the Snapping Dragon.

"What on earth kind of a plant is _that_?" Cordelia wondered curiously after Cedric had read aloud the information.

"A disastrous kind, I'm sure…" Cedric rolled his eyes. "Leave it to the malevolent-sounding plant to be the one that could transfer a dark mark. _So_ original."

"That begs the question," the sorceress began with a frown, "of who would know enough about these plants to explain their origin—not to mention how they even came to bear the Mark of Mayhem in the first place."

The Royal Sorcerer pondered momentarily before heaving a sigh. "I think I might know someone who can help."

* * *

The next day, a Saturday, Miss Nettle arrived as a proper guest of Enchancia for the first time. She was in awe of how kindly they treated her now as opposed to the unfortunate last time during the feast. But she digressed. She was here on a mission, and she was determined to see it through.

"I'm here to see to Princess Sofia," she announced to a set of guards who'd stopped her to question her. "I was summoned by the Royal Sorcerer Cedric."

One guard laughed. " _Cedric_ summoned a _fairy_ to help the princess?" he snorted. "Classic."

"Oh, grow up, Nedley," the older guard scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "At least he is _trying_ to help the princess. Show a little class."

The younger guard hung his head in shame as the fairy smirked while being allowed through to the castle. Call it her leftover troublemaking side, but she still enjoyed seeing self-righteous people being put in their place. She quickly fluttered through the doors of the castle and paused, blinking as none other than Cedric approached her. "Where is she?" she asked calmly.

"Before I lead you to her," the sorcerer started apprehensively, "you must _swear_ you are not going to harm her, even though she has said over and over again that you've changed." He folded his arms. "It's not necessarily that I don't believe it, but it's just that you and I aren't as different as one would assume, and I know the mind of a previously misguided person, so…"

Hearing his words and understanding where he was coming from, Miss Nettle held up one hand and placed the other over her heart. "I promise you, Cedric, that I'm only here to see to Sofia and her wellbeing. I mean her no ill will. She's helped me, you know…"

He nodded and hummed softly. "I'm quite familiar with the situation. I've been there myself." He turned and began walking before she had a chance to question him. "Anyway, I suppose I should fill you in."

"That _would_ be nice."

So he started from the beginning with Sofia's experiences at school, her sudden sensations of attacks, the presence of the dark mark, the concept of dark magic being present, and every other thing he could think of. He saw little use in holding back, because in the long run, it wouldn't help Sofia to leave out crucial _or_ seemingly trivial details. He finalized his explanation as soon as they entered Sofia's room, where the princess was actually sitting on her window seat and staring out the window.

"Sofia," Cedric greeted gently so as not to surprise her. "Someone has come to see you."

Sofia turned slowly and actually lit up at the sight of the fair-haired fairy. "Miss Nettle?" she gasped before standing and walking over to them. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you," she responded simply with a smile. "I hear you've fallen under the effects of dark magic." She sighed when Sofia frowned and nodded reluctantly. "We'll get to the bottom of this. Come, let's sit down so we can discuss everything."

Sofia climbed onto her bed and gestured for her friends to sit down on it as well. No sooner had they gotten settled than a knock fell upon the door. She smiled. "I know that excited knock. Come in, Calista!"

The tiny sorceress-in-training quickly bounded through the door and over to the bed, where she hopped onto the mattress and fitfully began observing her friend. "Sofia, Mummy told me you're quite unwell," she lamented dramatically as she felt her forehead. "Are you ill? Do you have a fever? Have you gone mad?"

"Calista," Cedric chided as the child calmed her hysterics.

"Uncle Ceddy? I didn't even see you there." She tilted her head as she observed Miss Nettle for the first time. "Hello! I'm Calista. What's your name?"

"I'm Miss Nettle. I'm here to help Sofia."

"Help her? Is she going to be all right?" Calista whirled around, tightly hugging an unprepared Sofia and wailing dramatically, "I can't lose her! She's my bestest friend!"

Sofia smiled and gently loosened the younger girl's hold before stroking her hair in a soothing manner. "I'm going to be okay, Calista. Your uncle and Miss Nettle are working to help me."

"You're an uncle?" Miss Nettle asked in surprise. "Strange. I would have fancied you an only child."

Cedric shot the woman a pointed look. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

" _Anyway_ ," Sofia interjected, just in case old habits really did die hard and those two started yet another argument (she did _not_ want another Sascha event on her hands). "Miss Nettle, if there's anything you can do to help, I'd really appreciate it. I don't really know enough about everything I'm going through right now, and _any_ perspective would be great." She smiled lightly as Calista clung to her arm, obviously afraid for her friend.

"Well, Cedric filled me in on what has been going on. From what I'm told, his research has revealed that your dark mark—the Mark of Mayhem—came from a flower known as the Snapping Dragon."

The princess simply blinked. "…What?"

"Yes. They're extremely rare and very sinister, and even _I_ won't keep them in my own gardens, nor do I want anything to do with them at all." She waved her wand and produced a floating image of the flower in question: a deep red flower with exactly five petals and a white tip to each petal. "This is the Snapping Dragon. Obviously, you must have somehow come into contact with it in order to garner the mark, Sofia. Though honestly, I don't see your castle keeping any on its grounds, and why Royal Prep would have them is beyond me…" She paused as she placed her hand to her chin. "Though I suppose they may have been disguised as another type of flower…"

Sofia's eyes widened. "Wait a minute. I just remembered something." She sat up straighter as Calista leaned back and folded her legs under her. "Desmond and I went to the greenhouse on the first day of my attack; we needed to tend to some of the plants before class started." She frowned thoughtfully. "There was a new plant I didn't recognize in there." She gasped in realization. "It was dark red and had white tips on the petals. A-And when I reached out to touch it, I felt a small zap. I was kind of surprised, but I didn't feel hurt or anything like that, and Desmond didn't say anything or see anything for that matter, so I just kind of…forgot about it, I guess." She sighed. "A few minutes later in class, that's when my first attack happened."

Miss Nettle nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid that is indeed the Snapping Dragon. It's known for its malicious coloring and 'zapping' quality. Typically, though, it's only used in dark magic rituals and such…hence the reason it produces the Mark of Mayhem."

The young girl now appeared quite frightened. Great. It wasn't enough to have to deal with bad guys, schooling, royal versus non-royal obligations, and other general things… Now she had to worry about an evil flower basically possessing her? "How do I get rid of it, Miss Nettle? I can't take much more of this…"

"I'm afraid the only person who can alleviate your problem is the conjuror who created it. Now it's only a matter of figuring out exactly who that particular conjuror is."

"Are you kidding me?" Cedric huffed as he folded his arms. "This dangerous flower power is worse than a blooming curse."

Miss Nettle couldn't help snickering. "I'm loving all the flower puns, Cedric."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come off it, Nettle. It was unintentional. My only focus right now is Sofia and removing this ridiculous dark mark from her before it causes her any more grief."

"I understand, trust me." Miss Nettle gazed at the tired princess. "All I recommend, Sofia, is pay particular attention to the students when you return to school. Look for the signs. Detachment is a big key factor."

She nodded in understanding. "Thanks, Miss Nettle."

After the fairy had left, Cordelia had arrived to pick up Calista for her studies, leaving the two friends alone to discuss.

"So what do you think?" Cedric asked as he leaned against the wall next to her bed.

Sofia sighed as she collapsed against her headboard. "I think this is only the beginning, Mr. Cedric…"

To be continued…


	5. A Peculiar Prince

Silhouettes

Summary: When Sofia suffers a strange attack at school, the royal family turns to Cedric for answers. He determines that she's under attack by someone who possesses dark magic, and it's up to them to figure out who the culprit is before it's too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I own only a few particular characters mentioned in here.

A/N: Hi, everyone! Figured I'd go ahead and update this weekend since I had a bit more downtime, which meant time to plot things out a bit better. Again, thanks for all the feedback. It helps so much! Oh, and bellechat, to be honest…I used to think Cedric WAS an only child. Lol. In fact in my story way back when, "Ivories," I even said he _was_ one…and then lo and behold, Cordelia waltzes into the picture, and I'm just like… "Whoops." :D Anyway! I'm glad to see people responded well to having Miss Nettle in the story. I plan to use her more in the future too; she's got some interesting story lines coming up that I can't reveal just yet. ;) Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 5: A Peculiar Prince

After a restful weekend, which allowed her to heal up a bit, Sofia returned to school with her siblings on Monday. Cedric continued to accompany them, just in case something happened; it was at his own behest as well as the king's. While she'd been able to rest a lot, Sofia still felt somewhat weak; however, she waved off any concern, saying she was all right.

The quartet arrived to Mr. Pecullian's class and sat in their usual seats as class was starting. A few minutes in, Sofia shivered a bit, which drew Cedric's attention.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly so as not to disturb the professor.

She glanced up at her friend. "Do you ever get the feeling…you're being watched?" She rubbed her arms in a self-soothing gesture before glancing downward. "I can't shake this feeling, Mr. Cedric. I _know_ something isn't right."

"Hmm." He looked up and frowned when he noticed something strange. "Sofia, who's that?"

"Huh?" She turned in his indicated direction, noticing for the first time a new prince.

He seemed rather quiet, as he sat still and stared ahead while Mr. Pecullian was speaking. He wore a dark shade of clothing with red accents throughout. His skin was pale, a stark contrast to his red hair and eerily-matching eyes. The lack of emotion behind his eyes sent another shiver down Sofia's spine when he suddenly turned to glance in her direction.

Sofia quickly turned away and grabbed Cedric's hand, getting his attention. "I know this sounds awful," she whispered softly, "but he gives me the creeps."

Cedric frowned and hummed in consideration. "What's his name?"

"…I don't know. I've never even noticed him in this class until now." She looked up as Hildegard walked into the class to deliver a note to the professor before turning to leave, only to be stopped by the younger princess. "Hey, Hildegard. Do you know who that boy is?"

Hildegard turned to the other side of the room, where, back in the farthest corner, the boy sat with his head now bent down and his hand feverishly writing what she could only presume were notes. She shrugged. "I'm…sorry, Sofia. I actually have no idea who that is. I guess he's new?" She walked away.

"Okay, a new prince, and even _Hildegard_ doesn't know who he is?" Sofia blinked as Cedric placed his other hand over hers in a comforting manner. "I have a bad feeling again, Mr. Cedric."

He nodded. "I'll take care of things. Don't you worry."

During the changing of classes, Cedric left the siblings to follow the mysterious prince as he headed in another direction. As careful as he was, he evidently wasn't as quiet and incognito as he believed.

"If you mean to follow me, you might want to do so a little more silently, Cedric the Sensational," the boy taunted calmly as he turned to face the sorcerer. He smirked and folded his arms as Cedric balked and raised his wand toward him. "Go on then—do it. Blast me with your pathetic wand. All you sorcerers are the same: you rely on magic rather than instinct. If you'd had any to begin with, perhaps you would have discerned your princess's predicament earlier instead of allowing her to suffer."

Cedric growled and used his wand to trap the prince, pushing him up against the wall. "Who are you?" he asked in a dangerous tone.

The boy just smiled smugly and refused to answer, his red eyes glittering with a secret sense of accomplishment.

"Are you the one who placed the Mark of Mayhem on Princess Sofia?"

Again, he said nothing. For someone so confident, he sure was a person of few words.

Cedric frowned heavily and squeezed his wand. " _Revelare verum_ ," he ordered, his wand reacting and casting a cloud of magic around the boy. His spell now set, the boy had no choice other than to reveal the truth, no matter what question he asked. The only downside was it wouldn't last long, so Cedric needed to get facts quickly. "Who are you?" he asked again.

The prince realized what had happened and, though quite unhappy with being placed under the spell, had no choice but to tell the truth. "I am Simon the Silent, grandson to Sylvester the Steadfast."

The sorcerer gaped at the boy. _Grandson?!_ Then that meant…

"I was given my name because of my 'quiet but deadly nature,' according to my oh-so-charming professors."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm doing my grandfather's bidding, naturally: attacking the dear princess via the Mark of Mayhem." He smiled wickedly, making Cedric's blood boil.

"Why?" he asked, though the boy refused to respond. Apparently, the spell had worn off. " _Why_?!" He grabbed the boy's jacket and glared threateningly at him. "Out with it, you little—"

"Cedric!"

Cedric jumped as he heard Flora's scolding tone.

"What on earth are you doing with that student? This type of behavior is unbecoming of a Royal Sorcerer."

"He's cursed Sofia," he blurted out as he still held onto the boy's jacket. He wasn't about to let him out of his sight. If he wasn't near the princess, then she wouldn't suffer. He'd pretty much figured that much out anyway.

"I've not cursed her," Simon insisted as he rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault she was stupid enough to touch the Snapping Dragon. You know, as clever as people say she is, she certainly seems to get herself into a great deal of trouble."

"Keep talking, you pest, and I'll magically teleport your sorry self to 'Little Prince Prison.' There will be no tea parties or croquet for you anymore."

"That's enough, Cedric. Leave him to me." She used her own magic and sealed the boy in a barrier. "Young man, you're hereby expelled from Royal Prep for unsightly behavior and ill will against another student."

The red-haired boy scoffed. "Big deal. I'm afraid you're missing the bigger picture here, fairy."

"Exactly," Cedric interjected with a scowl. "He's placed the Mark of Mayhem on Sofia. He needs to remove it first before you kick him out."

"The Mark of Mayhem?" Flora gasped. "Oh, no…"

Simon laughed. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Cedric. I cannot remove the mark from the princess. I was not the one who originally set up the Snapping Dragon anyway, and everyone familiar with the dark magic curse knows that only the one who is responsible for it can relieve it. Besides, even if I cared enough to try, _he_ would know.'

The fairy frowned and demanded, "Who is _he_?"

The haughty boy obviously didn't want to flat-out divulge the truth, so he instead decided to respond with something vague, in hopes that it would take them all a bit longer to figure it out. "The disconsolate trickster," he mocked with a smirk.

"The disconsolate…?" Flora frowned. "Talk sense, boy."

Cedric's eyes widened as he put two and two together. "It can't be…" He whirled toward Flora. "Where is Sofia?"

"In Fauna's class, but Cedric—"

He didn't bother to hear her out as he left the two of them behind and hurried down the corridor. Once he arrived at the desired classroom, he hurried in and knelt next to Sofia, whispering to her that he knew who was responsible for her predicament. Seeing her look of alarm, he stood and explained to Fauna, "Pardon us, Miss Fauna, but we have a bit of an emergency."

"Emergency?" she asked gently with a confused expression, mirroring those of her students' faces.

"Come along, Sofia," Cedric insisted as he took her hand and whisked her from the classroom.

The students exchanged curious glances before being redirected to their lesson.

"Mr. Cedric, where are we going?" the girl asked as they hurried along.

Cedric stopped them both once they'd vacated the building. "Hexley Hall."

To be continued…


	6. Confrontation

Silhouettes

Summary: When Sofia suffers a strange attack at school, the royal family turns to Cedric for answers. He determines that she's under attack by someone who possesses dark magic, and it's up to them to figure out who the culprit is before it's too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I own only a few particular characters mentioned in here.

A/N: Ah-hah! Yes, I've uploaded TWO chapters at once! And for good reason too. I couldn't just leave you hanging at the end of chapter 5. Plus, since most of you have probably caught on at this point (or you're probably starting to anyway), I figured why wait? Lol. Enjoy!

*Story*

Chapter 6: Confrontation

"Mr. Cedric, wait!" Sofia called as they neared the familiar school. She was panting by this point, and she was obviously much weaker than she had been. One glance at her arm showed exactly why: the Mark of Mayhem was now _glowing_ , and her literal energy seemed to be seeping from it.

"Sofia…" Cedric frowned in determination as he paused and lowered to her level. "Perhaps this was a bad idea. Maybe you should stay here."

"No," she insisted with a firm shake of her head. "You're not going in there without me. Besides, _I'm_ the one who's been affected by this dark magic—not you. I kind of need to go." She froze as she began to feel weak again and reached out, grasping her mentor's robe. "Please, Mr. Cedric…"

He sighed and nodded. He could never deny her anything, could he? "Very well, but you're far too weak to walk at this point." He turned. "Hang on to me."

She hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Sofia, hurry. We haven't got time to waste, especially when you seem to be getting worse."

Figuring he was right (again), she clambered onto his back as he stood, a little shaky at first but stable soon enough. "Thank you."

"Thank me once this dark magic has been cast away." With that, he quickly made his way to the school and burst through the doors.

The guards inside turned in surprise, not expecting anyone other than the current professors and students to be present.

"Who are you?" one guard demanded. "State your business."

"I'm here to speak with Grimtrix," Cedric declared, the very name of the wayward sorcerer still a bitter taste in his mouth.

An old man dressed in dark gold robes with tiny spectacles sitting on the edge of his nose and matching long white hair and beard stepped forward, his staff clutched loosely in his hand. "I am the stand-in for Grimtrix: Headmaster Zeldon," the man greeted with a kind note to his voice. He immediately noticed the weary princess hanging on to Cedric and frowned curiously. "Why do you request an audience with Grimtrix?"

"He's cursed my apprentice. Some pesky prince imposter said it himself: the 'disconsolate trickster.' 'Desolate, grim; trickster, - _trix_ …' Cute, really. With all due respect, Headmaster, it's of the utmost importance that I speak with Grimtrix… _now_."

"I'm afraid that's impossible. He's been locked away due to his insubordination and plotting to overthrow the kingdoms' rulers. His followers in the Order of the Wand have either been subdued or are currently being sought after. A lot of trouble, that man. He's put the entire school of Hexley Hall to shame and has caused a stain on our reputation."

Cedric didn't even want to ask if another certain sorcerer was in the 'subdued' or 'sought after' category. One, there wasn't time, and two, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. Right now, Sofia was his main concern. "Sir, please… Please, she needs help. She grows weaker day by day, and I simply cannot and _will not_ lose her."

Sofia smiled softly at her mentor's plea and offered him a subtle yet weak hug from her current position. It was amazing how much their friendship had grown over the last few years…

Sympathetic to his requests, the headmaster sighed and nodded. "Very well. Follow me." He led them away down a corridor. He paused at one large portrait and, using his staff, created a portal directly in the center.

Cedric was in awe. Was this some sort of secret part of the school even he was unaware of? He followed the headmaster through the painting and gasped softly as it sealed behind them. "Um, Headmaster Zeldon, where are we?"

"Come along," the old man responded gently as he continued forward. "Very few people know of this place, and now you are one of the few. Grimtrix was locked away here in this hard-to-access cell for safety reasons. Only I have the power to unlock this place, as I trust very few to actually manage it well. With all the goings on recently, I never know if someone has good intentions or not anymore, and I'm not willing to run the risk of setting this man free again."

"Believe me, I understand," the younger sorcerer acknowledged. "I've had some run-ins with him before, and I have never trusted anyone less."

"Good." Headmaster Zeldon paused before a large dark door. "This is where I stop. If you want an audience with Grimtrix, so be it, but I will not be going inside. He is locked in his own cell; do _not_ approach the cell for any reason, for even though he's locked away, he still may produce magic. Be on guard. I'll be waiting for you."

Cedric nodded as Headmaster Zeldon unlocked the door and ushered him inside. He gulped when the door shut behind them with a bang. A glance over his shoulder proved that Sofia was only barely awake, her energy all but drained at this point. "Hang on, Sofia." He moved forward.

He passed by several cells before he finally found one on the left that seemed to have a little illumination coming from it. He stopped, his breath caught in his throat and his blood turning to ice, shock written on his face.

There, standing in the center of the cell, was none other than Grimtrix the…Not-So-Good. While he looked relatively the same, his former impeccable clothing was tattered here and there, and his eyes…were glowing orbs of nothingness, if he had any words to describe them. It was the most frightening thing he'd ever come across, though he didn't want to say so out loud.

"Hmm, Cedric," the other sorcerer croaked with a twisted grin forming on his lips. "I was wondering when I would see you again. Finally figured out my little game, eh?"

"You call _this_ a game?" He gestured toward the weak princess and glared at the other man. "What have you done?"

"I thought it was fairly obvious. I've cursed her, you fool, for interfering so much all the time; for interrupting my brilliant plan; and, lastly, for turning one of my own members against me." He laughed as Cedric made a disgusted face. "And you may realize this already, but Sylvester the Steadfast and Simon the Silent are both working for me now—on the outside, naturally, as I'm trapped here and can't carry out my plans myself."

Cedric would have inquired further about these so-called plans, but his apprentice was more important right now. "Heal Sofia immediately, or you'll have to answer to me. And if it comes down to it, I _will_ destroy you."

" _You_?" Grimtrix burst out laughing, though the sound coming from his mouth sounded far more sinister than jovial. It was enough to make the hairs on the back of Cedric's neck stand on end. "You think you can destroy me, do you? Go ahead; you'll be doing me a favor." He smirked. "Besides, killing me means killing the darling princess, and as far as I'm concerned, that's a problem solved. She's too nosy for her own good anyway."

"Why are you doing this anyway? What happened to Grimtrix the _Good_?"

"I got tired of answering to the higher ups and not being able to forge my own path. Finally I decided that in order to get the respect I deserved, I'd have to take matters into my own hands." He smiled dangerously. "Of course, someone as mushy-hearted and dimwitted as you wouldn't understand that at this point, Cedric. You let this girl blind you with talk of 'friendship' and 'honor.' Spare me."

"Do _not_ insult my apprentice like that. She's done far more for her kingdom and others than you've ever managed to do as a headmaster. If you'd truly cared about your students _or_ your integrity, you wouldn't be in this position in the first place. I suppose that's what greed and ignorance gets you."

"You're one to talk! I seem to recall _you_ taking a Medusa Stone to overtake Enchancia."

"I surrendered and apologized."

"Of course you did." Grimtrix's glowing eyes brightened the tiniest bit. "You never could follow through with one simple task. Failing all of your sorcery lessons, failing with overtaking a kingdom, failing at just being a _sorcerer_ … What a disgrace to Hexley Hall."

Cedric growled. "At least I showed loyalty to a royal family that gave me a second chance and a princess who values my friendship. I'm no disgrace, Grimtrix— _you_ are! A disgrace to the wizarding world. You're nothing." He blinked and turned when he heard Sofia whimper slightly. "Sofia?" He placed her onto the floor and knelt next to her, holding her face in his hands to get her to focus on him. "Sofia, what's wrong?"

"I feel…really bad, Mr. Cedric," she admitted, her eyes a little hazy and her vision blurred.

"Sofia—" He was cut off as the girl suddenly screamed in pain, the Mark of Mayhem on her arm burning brightly now. He turned and glared dangerously at Grimtrix.

The dark sorcerer cackled as he clenched his fist, power flowing from him toward the weakened princess.

Cedric suddenly realized the truth. According to Miss Nettle, only the conjuror who'd placed the dark mark on Sofia could remove it. And of course that same person would have access to the Mark of Mayhem and could activate its negative powers; apparently Simon the Silent had gained that particular ability from the original source. Or at least that's what he believed had happened. That meant… " _You_ are the one who placed the Snapping Dragon at the school! But…how? When? WHY?"

Grimtrix smirked. "After you two escaped me the first time, I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a little backup plan. So I planted my precious Snapping Dragon in the enchanted greenhouse at Royal Prep after overhearing from some students that the princess enjoys spending time with the plants every now and then. I figured it was only a matter of time… It was just my luck that she discovered it and not some other student." He laughed uproariously. " _That_ would have been a big oops on my part."

"And how did you connect with that Simon boy and Sylvester the Steadfast?"

"Cedric, Cedric, Cedric… One day, you're going to understand the importance of networking." He closed his hand tighter, the magic coursing faster in Sofia's direction as his eyes glowed more intensely.

Cedric caught Sofia as she stumbled backwards from the attack, her energy draining as she screamed in agony. "Sofia!"

"And now, your precious princess will finally pay for all the grief she's caused me."

To be continued…


	7. Unrivaled

Silhouettes

Summary: When Sofia suffers a strange attack at school, the royal family turns to Cedric for answers. He determines that she's under attack by someone who possesses dark magic, and it's up to them to figure out who the culprit is before it's too late.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show. I own only a few particular characters mentioned in here.

A/N: And then there were none…as in no chapters after this one. Lol. Hope you've enjoyed the story! Thanks to Mr. Shortman92 for pointing out my error in the last chapter: I meant "disconsolate" and not "desolate." My fingers just typed whatever they wanted to there. Lol. It's fixed now. For those of you wanting justice for Sofia after all that Grimtrix has put her (and Cedric) through, I've got something thoroughly satisfying in this chapter. ;) It's something quite simple yet effective, and it sort of reflects the very human response to someone with such an overbearingly destructive nature. You'll see it in here. Thanks to everyone who's followed this story through to its completion, and let's just say…there _may_ be more to this down the road. :D Also, I apologize if some of the language seems a bit more hostile in this chapter… Then again, put yourself in Cedric's place. How would _you_ act? Lol. With that said, hope you enjoy the final chapter!

*Story*

Chapter 7: Unrivaled

"Mr. C-Cedric…," Sofia whispered in a fading voice as her eyes began closing. "I'm…"

"No…" Cedric held her with one arm and whipped his wand out with his right hand, aiming it at Grimtrix, who'd ceased his attack on the girl. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't just kill you now."

"Because if you do, it will kill _her_ ," he answered simply with a sinister smirk. "I'll activate the full power of the Mark of Mayhem, and that will be it for Princess Sofia of Enchancia. Think this through, Cedric, if you want the princess to survive."

Reconsidering his options, Cedric actually smirked in return. "What an excellent idea." He flicked his wand once. " _Dicere verum_!"

Grimtrix growled as the spell hit him, and he knew instantly what that meant: Cedric had just cast a truth spell on him, and he would be forced to answer honestly, no matter what.

"Tell the truth, Grimtrix. How can I help Sofia?" Cedric asked, knowing only phrasing requesting the truth would work with this particular spell.

The older sorcerer attempted to fight against the spell, but the words fell from his mouth before he could stop them. "You must say the magic words in order to free Sofia from my hex, and _that's_ the truth." He seemed rather satisfied with himself. After all, he'd said all he was requested to say and no more.

"Tell me the words!" the Royal Sorcerer demanded, causing Grimtrix to laugh.

"I'm under a _truth_ spell, Cedric, not a _command_ spell. I don't have to tell you anything."

Cedric snarled at the arrogant former headmaster before another idea came to him. "Truthfully, what are the magic words to heal Sofia?"

This question infuriated Grimtrix. He slammed his hands against the cell bars, causing Cedric to jump slightly in surprise. While Grimtrix was once a rather frightening man with magic alone, he'd never considered the man to be overly violent…not like this, anyway. The wicked man scowled. "Dark magic dissipate; Mark of Mayhem disintegrate. Bring this princess back to the light; remove from her this magic plight."

It took a bit of stumbling over the correct words, but Cedric held his wand to Sofia's amulet and finally perfectly recited the incantation. The Mark of Mayhem vanished, and energy returned to the fallen girl. The look of relief on his face when Sofia stirred and sat up on her own did not go unnoticed.

Sofia beamed at her friend. "You did it, Mr. Cedric!" She laughed and hugged him happily.

"I suppose I did!" he laughed with her, hugging her fully. "Oh, Sofia, I'm so glad you're all right."

"Bah, such a disgusting display," Grimtrix taunted as the two friends stood to their feet once again. "And _that's_ the truth, Cedric. Friendship, _love_ , _honor_ —it's all just a waste of time! You think this is the end? Oh, no, no…" He smirked toward Sofia, who frowned angrily at him and stood strong beside Cedric. "No, dear princess, it's only just the beginning. I have plans, you see? I'll get my revenge if it's the last thing I do, and I'll be taking you down with me!"

Cedric, having enough of the dark sorcerer's threats toward his apprentice, took two strides forward and, letting out all of his frustration, punched the other man square in the jaw, causing him to fall backwards in shock. He folded his arms as Grimtrix groaned and attempted to sit up, his hand automatically going to his jaw. "You can threaten me all you like, Grimtrix, but you will _not_ threaten Sofia. I'll do far worse next time, and _that's_ a promise." Turning, he grabbed Sofia's hand and left the cells behind.

Headmaster Zeldon greeted both of them warmly as he shut the door behind them and led them out of the enchanted portrait. "I take it your visit to Grimtrix was…successful?" he suggested with a small glimmer in his eye.

The sorcerer smirked. "You might say that. Thanks for your help, Headmaster. Come along, Sofia." He led the princess away as the headmaster stared at the portrait a moment more.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Cedric the Sensational," he murmured. "For your sake as well as the princess's…" He sighed and carried on with his duties.

Outside, Sofia breathed in the fresh air and smiled as she looked up at the sky. She then frowned in concern, which Cedric noticed; she sighed as he had her sit down under a tree to rest. "It's not over, is it, Mr. Cedric? I just…feel like something big is coming, whether I like it or not."

"Perhaps so," Cedric told her. "But you needn't worry, Sofia. You're stronger than you realize. And I'll always be here to help you and protect you at all costs." He gently patted her hand, causing her to smile. "And don't forget, you've got quite the support system behind you now: your mother and father, your brother and sister, me, Cordelia, my parents, Calista, the fairies, your friends, and even Miss Nettle now…"

"And Princess Ivy," she added.

"And Princess Ivy…though I'm still not quite familiar with her. The point is, my dear, that you're not going to have to do anything alone. We'll be here if you need us. With so many people on your side, there's no way you can lose against any opposition, especially Grimtrix." He smiled as she nodded. "You, Sofia, are unrivaled; there's no one else who can surpass your unique quality of being a princess and a savior of sorts, because you always give so much of yourself to help others… _That_ is what being a princess is truly about."

Sofia felt rather lighthearted at that point. He saw her as a savior… In a way, it was fitting, since he unwittingly alluded to her duties as a Protector. Did he know somehow? She smiled thoughtfully. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric, for everything." She hugged him once again before hearing the bell ringing in the distance. "We should get back to Royal Prep. I'm sure Amber and James are wondering where we went…"

"Let's go then." He took her hand as they stood and walked with her back to the school to finish out the day.

Meanwhile, Grimtrix growled as he massaged his aching jaw. He'd never expected such a puny sorcerer as Cedric to have such power behind him; perhaps Sofia really _did_ give him the initiative. He chuckled lowly. "If that's the case, you'd better be prepared, Cedric. You have no idea who you're messing with or what I'm truly capable of. You want to defeat me? I'd like to see you try."

The end

Ending Note: I'm attempting to allude to the possibility of Grimtrix's inevitable "revenge-seeking moment" in the show. I know it's coming. I mean, come on. He hasn't been "reformed" yet, and I don't know if he will be, so it's highly likely we're going to see him again. I tried to keep this as ambiguous of an ending as I could so I wouldn't run into plot line issues with the show. I'm sure, even if Grimtrix was captured, he'd figure out how to get out. After all, he's a powerful and manipulative sorcerer, so I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. I guess we'll find out! :) Anyway, like I said, I may do something more of a "sequel" to this later, but I'm going to leave it alone for a while. The next story will be much lighter and will involve someone who's often overlooked in the show. ;) Ponder on that, and I'll see you all later! Have a great day! ~AquaTurquoise


End file.
